Flushing-valve.



E. RICHARDSON.

FLUSHING- VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1912.

Patented Apr. 7,1914

s PAT FLUSHING-VAIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 7, 1914.

Application filed July 22, 1912. Serial No. 710,899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDRo RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushing-Valves, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to improvements in flushing valves and has particular reference to a valve suitable for use in flushing water closets in that upon being operated the valve will permit sufficient water to flow through the closet to flush the latter and then automatically cut off such flow of water.

The present invention is particularly an improvement on the flushing valve shown in the U. S. Patent, 909,605 granted January 12th, 1909 to Thomas R. Jenkins, Jr.

The object of my invention is to improve the said Jenkins valve both in construction and operation, to provide improved valveactuating means outside of the equalizing chamber where leakage is less liable to occur and at a point in close proximity to the supply inlet. With these and other objects in view the accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the valve as improved. Fig. 2 illustrates a central vertical sectional view of the same on a slightly enlarged scale. Fig. 3 shows a horizontal cross-sectional view through the valve,the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig, 4 illustrates a top plan view of the ring-flange on the end of the wall of the piston chamber.

Referring to the several views of the drawing, the numeral, 1, designates the outer shell or valve casing having a water-supply connection, 2, at its lower end; an inwardlyextending and up-turned water-supply noz zle, 3, having a port with a horizontal seat, 4, which is centrally disposed and from which water may pass direct to the closet, as will presently appear.

An annular chamber, 5, is provided in the casing and extends around the water-supply nozzle, and also around the port, 4, so that when aid port is uncovered, water may pass from the port to the annular chamber and from the latter out through a discharge opening, 6, at the'lower end of the shell.- Screw-threads, 7, are provided at the lower end of the shell and around the discharge opening for the connection with a pipe that leads to the closet bowl, which it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate.

The upper portion. of the casing is provlded with an equalizing chamber, 8, of a generally circular form which is provided with a port, 9, in its bottom, 10. The port,

9, in the bottom of the equalizing chamber has position directly over the supply port, 4, but is of a greater diameter than said supply port. A valve, 11, is located in the equalizing chamber, 8, and has a central depending stem, 12, with a central vertical opening therethrough for a purpose presently to be explained. A suitable packing, 13, is provided on the under surface of the valve, 12, to effect a seal around the port, 9, and thereby close communication between the equalizing chamber and the annular chamber, 5, beneath it. The valve, 11, has a cylindrical wall, 14, extending vertically above 1t which forms a piston chamber, 15,the latter being open at the top and in communication with the equalizing chamber, 8. A piston, 16, is provided in the chamber, 15, and a piston stem, 17, depends from the lower side of the piston and passes through the central vertical opening in the valve, 11, and also through the depending stem, 12, at the under side of said valve.

The valve, 11, sustains a depending shell, 18, which in the present instance has a threadedopening, 19, in which engages the depending stem, 12, on the bottom of the valve, 11. This shell, 18, has a lower open end, 20, which, when the valve isin the normal seated position, encircles the upper end of the supply nozzle, 4. The shell, 18, also has a plurality of circumferential openings, 21, which are positioned slightly above the lower annular edge of the shell so as to form cross-bars, 22, for a purpose which will presentlv be explained,

The lower end of piston stem, 17, has a valve, 23, which seats on the water-supply port, 4, and the upper and lower surfaces of said valve are reinforced by means of suitable washers or plates. 24, and, 25, respectively. A conical spring, 26, encircles the lower end of stem, 17, and the lower end thereof seats on the plate, 24, while the upper end of said spring presses against the upper end of the shell. 18, so as to exert a constant pressure on the valve. It will be noted therefore that the valve, 23, on the lower end of the piston stem is encircled by Yes vflange is provided with a cross-bar, 28, ex-

tending diametrically across from one side to the other, and sald cross-bar 1s provided with a stem, 29, that projects vertically therefrom. A cap, 30, screws onto the upper end of the outer shell or case, 1, and has a V vertically extending socket, 31, at the center 15,

and under side so that the stem, 29, on crossbar, 28, may enter said socket and thus maintain the cylindrical wall, 14, in proper position with respect to the outer shell wall. A coiled spring, 32, is compressed between the cap and the cross bar, 28, to exert a yielding but downward pressure on the upper side of the valve, 11, through wall, 14. A feed water by-passage, 33, extends through the wall of the outer shell from the supply-nozzle, 3, to the equalizing chamber, 8, and enters the latter just above the bottom, 10,a needle valve, 34, being provided to control the flow of water from the by-passage to the equalizing chamber. A cap, 35, covers the outer end of the needlevalve to prevent unauthorized persons tampering with the same.

Below the equalizing chamber the shell is provided with a horizontal passage, 36, whose ends open at opposite sides and one longitudinal side of said passage intersects the annular discharge chamber, 5. A coupling member, 37, screws into one end of said passage, 36, and has a central passage therethrough with a shoulder 38, near its innerend. A shaft, 39, extends through the coupling member, 37, which forms a bearing therefor and the end of said shaft has an annular flange, 40, an angular portion, 41, at one side of the annular flange and a centering stud, 42, at the extremity. The shoulder, 38, on the coupling member forms a stop at one side of the annular flange, 40, to prevent the shaft from moving longitudinally in that direction and the stud, 42, has

bearing, and is centered in a socket, 43, in the inner end of a plug, 44, which enters the passage, 36, from the other end. By means of this construction the shaft is centered by plu 44, which also prevents it from longituc inal movement in one direc tion and has bearing in member, 37, whose interior shoulder, 38, prevents longitudinal movement in the opposite direction. A packing ring, 45, is provided at the outer end of coupling-member, 37, by which a packing, 46, is compressed to make a sufficiently tight joint about the shaft to prevent leakage as will presently be more clearly explained.

A valve lifter, 47 is carried on the shaft, 39, and has an opening with angular walls to conform to the shape of and receive the angular portion, 41, of the shaft, and said lifter also has spaced-apart lugs, 48, which enter the discharge chamber, 5, and receive between them the cross-bar, 22, at one of the openings, 21, on the lower end of the de pending shell, 18, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. The shaft, 39, is bent laterally, in the pres- 49, by which the shaft may be slightly rocked to start the flushing operation. A vertical groove, 50, is provldedin the piston stem, 17 which extends from the shell, 18, upwardly and which forms a vent from: the under side of piston, 16, so as to enable the latter to be moved in chamber, 15, without hindrance.

In practice the supply nozzle, 3, and the by-passage, 33, are always filled with water,both being in direct communication with the supply pipe, not shown. The equalizing cham er, 8, and the upper side of piston chamber, 15, will also contain wa ter at the same pressure as that in nozzle, 3, and by-passage, 33. It will thus be seen that the water pressure downward on piston, 16, plus the push of spring, 26, on the valve, 23,

will overcome the upward pressure of the 9 water in nozzle, 3, on the under side of valve, 23, and said valve will remain seated. It will also be understood that the water pressure in the equalizing chamber, 8, together with the downward push of spring, 32, will cause valve, 11, to seat around port, 9, and prevent leakage through said port. To actuate the valveand start theflushing operation, it is only necessary to press lever, 49, down slightly and thus give a slight rotation to shaft, 39, to cause the lug, 48, on valve lifter, 47, to raise shell, 18, and valve, 11. As soon as this is done, water in the equalizing chamber, 8, will obviously escape through port, 9, to chamber, 5, although valve, 11, will immediately close when lever, 49, is released the pressure in the piston chamber, 15, will have been reduced. Upon reduction bf pressure in chamber, 15, the piston, 16, will be raised with stem, 17 because the ressure on the under side of valve, 23, at t e inlet nozzle, will at that time be greater than the pressure in piston chamber, 15. As soon as valve, 23, rises, water Wlll pass directly from port, 4, into the chamber, 5, and out through outlet, 6, to the closet and this flow of water will continue until the pressure in the equalizing chamber and piston chamber is restored sufliciently to overcome the pressure in nozzle, 3; The restoration of pressure in the equalizing chamber begins immediately upon the lowering of said pressure therein because water will flow more or less slowly through by-passa ge, 33, and around needle-valve, 34, into said cut instance and forms an operating lever,

equalizing chamber. By opening needlevalve, 34, the water will be admitted fast to the equalizing chamber and will obviously be gradually cut-ofi as the needle-valve is closed. By this means the period of flushing can be regulated or varied at will. As at no time will water be confined in chamber, 5, under pressure, because outlet, 6, is always open, leakage around shaft, 36, will be entirely avoided.

The arrangement of valve release device to coact with the shell, 18, to raise valve, 11, and thus start the flushing, is found in practice to be very desirable for the reason that it enables the valve to be seated positively by pulling upwardly on lever, 49, which is occasionally necessary because of a foreign substance being present on the seat and causing leakage from the port, 4.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a flushing valve the combination with a casing having a water inlet and a water outlet and also having an equalizing chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port, of a valve for the outlet port of the equalizing chamber,-said valve having a piston chamber at its upper side and a shell at its lower side; a piston in said piston chamber; a piston stem carried by the piston and extending through the said valve into said shell; a valve carried by the piston stem and housed within said shell; means in the shell for yieldingly pressing the valve in one direction; a valve lifter pivotally sustained adjacent to the said shell and engaging the latter and means for moving said valve lifter to unseat the valve from the outlet port of the equalizing chamber.

2. In a flushing valve the combination with a casing having a water inlet and a water outlet and also having an equalizing chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port, of a valve for the outlet port of the equalizin chamber; a piston chamber at the upper si e of the valve; a shell depending from the bottom side of said valve and projecting through the outlet port of the equalizing chamber; a stem extending up from the depending shell through the valve and into the piston chamber; a piston on the upper end of said stem; a valve on the lower end of said stem; means in the shell for yieldingly drawing the stem down; a shaft at one side of the shell; a valve lifter on said shaft and engaging the shell and a lever for moving the shaft to actuate the valve lifter.

3. In a flushing valve the combination with a casing having a water inlet and a water outlet and also having an equalizing chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port, of a valve for the outlet port of the equalizing chamber; a piston chamber at the upper side of the valve; a shell depending from the bottom side of said valve and projecting through the outlet port of the equalizing chamber; a stem extending up from the depending shell through the valve and into the piston chamber; a piston on the upper end of said stem; a valve on the lower end of said stem; a spring in the shell be tween the valve on the end of the stem and the upper side of the shell; a shaft at one side of the shell; a valve lifter on said shaft and having two lugs to engage the shell and a lever for moving the shaft and valve lifter to cause the lugs to move the shell.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDRO RICHARD SON.

Witnesses:

Gr. Fnnn. Voc'r, CHARLES B. MANN, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

